hedge
/ˈhɛd͡ʒ/
Frequency: 3.74 in modern English
Meaning
noun
A thicket of bushes or other shrubbery, especially one planted as a fence between two portions of land, or to separate the parts of a garden.
noun
A barrier (often consisting of a line of persons or objects) to protect someone or something from harm.
noun
A mound of earth, stone- or turf-faced, often topped with bushes, used as a fence between any two portions of land.
British usage
noun
noun
Contract or arrangement reducing one's exposure to risk (for example the risk of price movements or interest rate movements).
noun
With indication of a person's upbringing, or professional activities, taking place by the side of the road; being third-rate, poor, shoddy.
British usage
Example Sentences
- "He trims the hedge once a week."
- "But then I had the [massive] flintlock by me for protection. ¶[…]The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window[…], and a 'bead' could be drawn upon Molly, the dairymaid, kissing the fogger behind the hedge, little dreaming that the deadly tube was levelled at them."
- "Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land."
- "When not inaccurate, much commentary on the contents of Hobson-Jobson is couched in hedges or relies on speculative estimates in the absence of exact information."
- "The asset class acts as a hedge."
- "A hedge is an investment position intended to offset potential losses/gains that may be incurred by a companion investment. In simple language, a hedge is used to reduce any substantial losses/gains suffered by an individual or an organization."
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈhɛd͡ʒ/
- British English: /ˈhɛd͡ʒ/
Usage
- British usage
- Transitive verb
- Intransitive verb